john,

On Thursday, the Maricopa Area Labor Federation and the Arizona AFL-CIO were proud to honor Arizona workers who died in 2021 as a result of workplace illness or injury during our annual Workers’ Memorial Day Breakfast.

Every day, more than twelve Arizona workers die while on the job. Nationally, 95,000 workers die annually from long-term, workplace-related exposure. That is why each year, Arizona’s unions convene on April 28th to mourn our fallen union siblings and renew our commitment to ensuring that all Arizonans are guaranteed a safe workplace. 

To be clear, so many workplaces death are preventable. All too often, deaths on the job occur when workers are forced to endure dangerous conditions without the proper protective equipment. Unfortunately, The Arizona Division for Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) and the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) have failed to protect Arizona workers by unilaterally lowering fines designed to deter companies from violating safety protocol, failing to implement void-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard National Emphasis Programs, and by catering to bad-faith employers. 

As we mourn our fallen workers, we must honor them with action. We must continue to pressure elected leaders to appoint pro-worker advocates to our lead federal and state agencies that oversee workplace safety. We must continue to urge our Senators to pass the PRO Act and ensure that workers have the power to fight for safer job sites. And we must continue to support the families of our fallen union siblings, whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice while simply trying to make a living.

I am so proud to stand with you all in this fight. Thank you for all you do.

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

NEW: Campaign Manager (full-time, temporary)

We are looking to add a Campaign Manager to our team for the duration of our Labor 2022 program. The Campaign Manager, working in partnership with the AFL-CIO, Area Labor Federations, Affiliates, and Allies develops strategic year-round mobilization campaigns to support the federations’ goals. The Campaign Manager is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the Arizona AFL-CIO’s Labor 2022 electoral campaign. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through May 6th at 5 PM.

Communications & Operations Director (full-time, permanent)

The Communications & Operations Director will be responsible for managing all internal and external communications from the State Federation, Maricopa Area Labor Federation, Arizona AFL-CIO Constituency Groups, and Labor-Oriented Coalitions. We will be accepting applications for this position through April 30th at 5 PM.

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Another Memorial Day in honor of workers who lost their lives on the job | Opinion

Each year, thousands of workers of all ages die needlessly — leaving families, friends and communities to grieve — when required safety and health standards are ignored. In 2020, about 5,000 workers died in the U.S. in work-related deaths, including many who fell victim to workplace exposure to COVID-19. Tens of thousands more die of work-related diseases.

OSHA Found Risk Factors at an Amazon Warehouse Where a Tornado Killed Workers. The Agency Is Not Going to Punish Anyone.

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will not be issuing any fines to Amazon despite an investigation finding multiple safety risks at the company’s Edwardsville, Illinois warehouse facility where, late last year, a Category 3 tornado hit killing six people. The announcement from the nation’s federal worker safety watchdog came on Tuesday. The investigation into the disaster showed that Amazon complied with minimal federal storm shelter guidelines despite some unsafe conditions. In part, this is because the bar is incredibly low...."

Why Wendy’s is the source of unrest among US farm workers

"Over the past several years, farm workers have held protests and hunger strikes on college campuses, outside of corporate headquarters, at annual shareholders meetings, and in cities around the US, and called for a public boycott to demand the fast-food corporate chain Wendy’s join the Fair Food Program..."

Unions’ push at Amazon, Apple and Starbucks could be ‘most significant moment in the American labor movement’ in decades

"After the retail chains that grew tremendously in the 1980s and 1990s avoided unions, current attempts to organize workers at Big Tech and newer chains has the chance to live up to success with auto makers nearly a century ago, experts say..."

149 Democrats Demand More Cash for Underfunded Labor Board as Union Push Spreads

"As labor uprisings heat up and spread across the country, a group of House Democrats is calling for an increase in budget for the federal labor board, which has been starved of the funding it needs to address the current upswing in labor activity. The group of 149 Democrats, led by Rep. Donald Norcross (D-New Jersey), sent a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday, asking for a roughly 34 percent boost to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) budget for fiscal year 2023 and requesting a budget of $368 million at minimum. The funding should be specifically directed toward addressing the “staffing crisis” at the board’s regional offices, they said..."

DATA: Arizona teacher pay rising, but still close to the bottom

"A report from the National Education Association estimates that Arizona now ranks 44 out of 50 states for average teacher pay, rising by two in the ranks since the previous year. According to their data, the state teacher salaries averaged $52,157 in the 2020-21 school year, a rise of $1,375. When compared to other states, the 2.7% salary increase in Arizona was the eleventh largest...."

After decade of defiance, OSHA plans to take over Arizona enforcement

"'I don’t enjoy saying this, but it’s a fact: We need the feds to step in,' said Shannon Foley, co-chair of the Worker Safety Committee at IATSE Local 415 and a volunteer with the Arizona Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. 'The Arizona Industrial Commission is too cozy with industry and they are not doing enough to keep workers safe on the job.' 'This isn’t about Washington, D.C., vs. Arizona or labor vs management,' said Foley. 'It’s about all of us pulling together so that every worker comes home safely at the end of every shift. We all have a right to a safe workplace, no matter what state we live in....”

Legislature creating committee to study Arizona's housing crisis

"The Arizona Legislature is creating a study committee to spend the next year examining the state's housing crisis. House Bill 2674 was initially introduced to create a standardized set of statewide zoning rules that attempted to override housing regulations or restrictions adopted by local towns and cities. The rules were drafted with the intention to help boost Arizona's low housing supply. But lawmakers revised the bill's language to instead create a committee that can study the issue more deeply before establishing new zoning laws. HB 2674 was signed into law this week after passing through the Legislature...."

Red flag warning issued for northern Arizona as dry, windy conditions persist

"Fire weather will remain in northern Arizona as dry and warm conditions are expected to continue through next week, according to the National Weather Service. A red flag warning was issued for much of northern Arizona— including the Flagstaff area, Grand Canyon, Winslow, Holbrook, among others — and will be in effect Thursday until 7 p.m..."

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